Railroad-frog



2 Shet-Sheet 1..

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C. B. PRICE. RAILROAD FROG.

No. 323,596. Patented Au 4, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsfSheet y2.

C. B. PRICE.

RAILRGAD FROG.

No. 323,596. Patented Aug. 4, 18,85.

UNITED STATES PATENT @trici-r..

CHARLES B. PRICE, OF FITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part o Letters Patent No. 323,596, dated August 4, 1885.

Application filed January 30, 1885.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RailroadFrogs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of railroadfrog crossings illustrated and described in the Letters Patent of the United States granted to me January 13, 1885; and my invention consists in certain improvements, fully described hereinafter, intended to secure greater efficiency and certainty of operation in the device.

1n the drawings, Figure l is a plan view showing main and branch tracks of a railroad, a switch, and my improved frog-crossing and operating appliances. Fig. 2 is the same showing the parts in a different position with operating appliances of a different character. Fig. 3 is a cross-section enlarged on the line l 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross'section on the line 3 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached view of the frograil. Fig. 6 is a view showing the sides of the lead-rail and main rail, and frog-rail on the latter, looking in the direction cf arrow c, Fig. 1.

In Letters Patent issued to me January 13, 1885, l described a frog movable over and from a rail oi' the main track and affording a bridge over the main-track rail between one of the siding-rails and the leadrail, so that when the frog was in position to direct the cars to the siding there would be an unbroken track between the lead -rail and the siding-rail. This bridge would therefore cross the main track where the siding was open, so that it was then necessary for the danges of the wheels to move on a path above the top of the main rail.

My present invention has for one of its objects to maintain the main track continuous and open at all times, avoid the raising of the wheeli'langes to any material extent above the tops of the main rail when passing along the main track, and at the same time dispense with ordinarystationary frogs and secure the advantages incident to the movable frog-crossing set forth in my said Letters Patent, and this I eifect by constructing and arranging the movable frog-rail so that while it may be brought above the Ina-in rail in position to di- (No model.)

rect the cars onto the branch track, it will never extend beyond the inner side oi' the main rail or close the space between the latter and the end of the lead-rail.

My improved frog is adapted to be used in connection with any suitable forni of switch. In the drawings it is shownin connection with an ordinary split switch.

A A A2 are rails of the main track. B is the outside rail of the siding. B' is the inside rail leading from the switch to the frog. coinmonly known asthe lead-raih and B2 is the siding-rail next to the heel or rear of the crossing or frog rail. The rails B and A2 terminate on the same line transverse to the main track and at theirouter ends are brought each to a point, constituting an ordinary pointswitch, which, by suitable appliances, may be set'to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and A guard-rail, C, is parallel to the rail B, and a guard-rail, C', is parallel to the rail A.

The frog -rail E is shown as pivoted at as near one end of the inner branch rail, Bi, but it may slide laterally with like effect, and is supported by chairs 'or blocks q. The frograil is adapted to be brought with its inner edge, y, in line with the inner side of the main rail, so as to cover the latter, the tread or face fr of the covering portion being inclined downward from the center toward cach end, so that when the frog-rail is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the tread ol' a car-wheel passing in the direction of the arrow b on the main track will ride easily up over and down on said face fr without carrying the lower edge ofthe flange to any material distance above the upper face of the main rail, as in the frog-rail described in my aforesaid patent. (See Fig. 3.)

In the face of the frog-rail is a groove, in, and at the side thereof is a tread, s, which is at an acute angle to the tread y, and when the frog-rail is in the position shown in Fig. 1 it is in line with the tread of the lead-rail B, and crosses the main rail so far above the fa ce thereof that the wheels may pass from the lea drail upon the tread s, and with their flanges in the groove zo over the main rail onto the rail B2 of the siding.

The end of the lead-rail is at sufficient distance from the side of the inain rail to leave a :dangeway for the passage of the ilanges of the wheels of cars moving on the main track,

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and the lead-railis gradually deepened or thickened toward its end, so that its tread at s its extreme end will be on a level with the posite the end of the highest part of the tread said patent.

s of the frog-rail E when the latter isvin the position shown in Fig. l, and will extend toV both sides of said point, so that in passing from the lead-rail the treads of the wheels Awill take their bearing on the tread s of the frog-rail before they leave the lead-rail, and vice versa, a practically continuous tread being thus secured, notwithstanding the separation of the lead and frog rails, whereby all jolt-ing and jars in crossing over the main rail are prevented.

If the end .of the lead-rail terminate abruptly, there would be danger of accident -from the striking of the cars by brake-beams hanging too low, or by pilots or other parts set too low, for which reason I prolong the said end and incline it to form an inclined face, z, which any low hanging parts will strike, and which `will lift them gradually without injury until they pass over the top of the rail.

In place of forming the end of the lead-rail itself of the shape described, a separate casting or forging, V, may be used in connection with ordinary T-rails to constitute the leadrail, the said casting or forging constituting, in effect, a part of the lead-rail, and being spiked rmly down upon the ties in position to form a continuation of the other portion.

The advantage of a groove, w, in the crossing or frog rail E is that itconines the anges of wheels passing over it strictly to the line -betwecn the lead-rail and branch rail, assisted in this respect by the guard-rail C opposite to it. If it be desired to reduce the weight of the frog-rail E, however, its grooved surface may extend but part of the way back from the point e, and at the point where the grooving terminates the rail E may be correspondingly narrowed in width.

The guard-rail C will of course tend to insure safety in guiding the opposite flanges of wheels passing along the main track, when, by error, engines or cars are compelled to pass over the end of the frog-rail Ewhen the latter is in the position shown by Fig. 2.

In Fig. l I have shown the frog-rail and switch-rails connected to be operated by a switch-lever and crank-levers, as in my afore- In some instances, however, a differently-constructed operating device may be used, and in Fig. 2 I have shown one whereby the movements may be imparted to the frog and switch rails from a cranked shaft, H, parallel with the main rail. The said shaft may be a single piece or in three sections, the outer sections with cranked ends, and the middle section coupled therewith and carrying the switch-lever g, one crank being connected by a switch-rod, c, to the switch-rails, and the other by a rod, d, to a pin, t', projecting downward from a lug on the frog-rail.

By the use of a cranked rod I dispense with the multiplicity of parts necessary when bellcranks are employed, and by forming the crank-rod of united sections I avoidthe torsion incidental to a continuous rod, as the central section may be made heavy enough to avoid twisting without the expense of a long rod of great thickness.

A spring, s', of any suitable character serves to compensate for lost motion, and avoids the necessity of throwing the frog-rail back by a thrust action, as in the device described in my aforesaid patent.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claiml. A frog arranged to be carried to and up- Ion the main rail of a track, and when upon the latter to coincide at its inner edge with the inner edge of said rail, extending to the rail of the branch track and affording a tread over the main rail in line with the latter and a tread across the main rail in line with the branch rail, substantially as described.

2. The frog constructed to coincide when upon the main rail with the Ainner edge of the latter, and extending to the siding-rail and grooved to afford a channel across and over the main rail for the flange of the car-wheel, substantially as described. Y 3. The combination of the grooved movable frog adapted to be brought above the main rail and terminating at the inner edge of the' latter, and a lead-rail with its inner side level with the face of the frog and extending to opposite sides of the tread of the latter to afford a continuous bearing for the tread of the wheel across the space between thelead-rail and frog, substantially as described.

.4. A movable frog-rail adapted to be thrown upon without crossing the main rail, and having one groove in line with the lead and branch rails, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the main rail and siding-rail, of a movable frog-rail provided with an edge-tread inclining upward from each end, and with a tread, s, at an angle to the edge-tread, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the siding-rails and rail of the main track, of a frog-rail having a portion adapted to lie upon the main rail and constitute a tread, r, above the same, and with a tread lleading at an angle to the tread r to the switch-rail, substantially as described.

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7. The lead-rail increasedl in height at the `the end of the lead-rail, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the main rail, movable frog-rail, lead1ail thickened at; the inner at different points, of the crankshaft consistend and provided with an inclined face, z, ing of two crank-sections and intermediate substantially as and for the purpose seb forth. Section carryngthe switch-lever,substantially 9. The combination, with the movable rails as described. 15 5 of a switch, and a movable frog-rail at sepa- In testimony whereof l have signed my rated points, of a crank-shaft, H, connected naine to this specification in the presence of to said rails and provided with a switch-lever two subscribing witnesses. arranged midwayY between the cranks to op- CHAS. B. PRlGE. @rate the switch and frog rails in unison7 sub- 1o stantially as described.

NVitnesses:

CHARLES E. FosTER,

10. The combination, with thelnovable rails l F. L. FREEMAN. 

